Anyone in business today understands that the face of business is greatly different than it was a few years ago. One of the greatest advancements in business marketing has been the internet and social media platforms. When it comes to your small business marketing, you must use every opportunity available to you, and having an online and social media presence is crucial. However, there are some errors that small business owners make when using social media. Here are the five online marketing mistakes to avoid.
Posting Frequency
No matter the gist of your posts on social media, you can post too much or too little. It would be best to find the balance between staying connected to your customers and followers and not over or under posting.
Inundating your feed with business-related posts will flood your follower’s feeds, and because they are only getting eye-fulls of your content, they may choose to unfollow you. If this is the case, when they need your product or service, they may not think of what you recommend, what they are looking for, or worse, they remember that you were annoying with your posts and decide to give their business to someone else.
On the other hand, many business owners get off to a great start by setting up social media and gaining followers and interacting a bit, then go completely silent or post too little to make an impact. You are using your social media to connect with your customers, but it is an essential part of your branding. Social media platforms are where people get to know you, your staff, and your business, so you need to post often while holding back from posting too much.
Aggressive Sales
Aggressive or pushy sales strategies can backfire and often have the opposite effect on your sales and the desire to use your products and services when a need arises. If you ask most people how they feel about having a pushy salesperson approach them when they walk into a store or on a lot, they will tell you it makes them uncomfortable. The same can be said about using similar tactics when using your social media.
When representing a product or service of another company, those companies will push you to be pushy and center all their sales tactics around an aggressive approach. These people often get unfollowed when they are doing nothing but trying to push their products and services on you.
To avoid this, use soft sales approaches. Make videos that add value to someone’s life and connect them to you as a salesperson but don’t necessarily have to do with the product. This approach will make it easier for potential customers to approach you about what you offer. Or even if you approach them, they will be more receptive to what you are selling.
Customer Service Issues
It is no surprise that many people use social media platforms to speak their views. Hiding behind a keyboard makes it far easier to say things we might not say if we were face-to-face with someone. Having said that, if a person gives a negative review or speaks badly of your company, you can use it as a customer service moment. No matter the customer’s attitude, you should always react with thoughtfulness, understanding, and professionalism
Ignoring Followers
Your followers are those who have opted to connect to you on social media. They are prospective customers or future business associates. Many business owners who use social media neglect engaging with their followers, leaving them feeling unconnected, and eventually, they will stop following you.
Find ways to interact with them, whether it be by following back and interacting on their posts or answering comments they make on your posts. Also, making your posts engaging can positively affect your followers and potential customers or partners.
Poor Writing
Having properly written posts on behalf of your business should be a given, but it is surprising how many don’t take the time to check before publishing. Since all content you post to your business followers represents you and your business, make sure you check and double-check spelling and grammar. A few spelling and grammar managers can be turned on within your chosen browser and used every time you post or comment.
Conclusion
While marketing is a living, breathing thing, you should work to avoid mistakes in marketing online. These tips can help you avoid these mistakes and ensure that your online marketing plan will be effective and inexpensive.
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